President Donald Trump joined other world leaders in Normandy, France on Thursday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion with a stirring speech at the edge of Omaha Beach.
In his address, Trump praised Allied fighters for standing “in the fires of hell” to triumph over evil and said that the soldiers “won back this ground for civilization.”
Marking the occasion
Leaders from Britain, Canada, France, and Germany joined Trump and the first lady to mark the occasion that helped turn the tide of World War II. Over 170 American WWII veterans attended the 75th-anniversary event.
“You are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live,” Trump told the veterans. “You are the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
After the speech, Trump spoke personally with the veterans to thank them for their service.
French President Emmanuel Macron also thanked American veterans for helping to liberate France in a speech before Trump’s.
“Today, France has not forgotten to those who we owe our right to freedom,” Macron said. “On behalf of my nation, I just want to say, thank you.”
The impact of D-Day
During the D-Day invasion at Normandy, 4,414 Allied troops — including 2,501 Americans — were killed. The battle was later seen as something of a suicide mission, but also a heroic stand for freedom.
Trump’s speech characterized the battle as one that changed history. The veterans and those who died will always be remembered as heroes who sacrificed for the world, he said.
“In defeating that evil, they left a legacy that will last forever,” Trump said to conclude his speech. “To the men who sit behind me, your example will never grow old. Your legend will never die. The blood that they spilled, the tears that they shed, the lives that they gave, the sacrifice that they made, did not just win a battle, it did not just win a war… They won the survival of our civilization.”
The speeches were part of a day full of remembrances that will also include a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where more than 9,000 Americans are buried. Another ceremony at the Bayeux War Cemetery commemorated British D-Day sacrifices.
Historically, D-Day was the largest invasion ever by land or by sea. A whopping 160,000 Allied troops were carried to Normandy’s beaches — code-named Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, and Gold — by 7,000 boats. The battle cost the Allies 7,000 soldiers, but allowed the Allies to move on to retake Paris and control some German territory before the war ended in 1945.
Trump honors vets
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are still nearly 500,000 American veterans of WWII living in the U.S., but almost 350 pass away daily. Trump has consistently honored veterans of all wars America has been involved in, praising and remembering their service.
In a tweet ahead of his speech, Trump said he was looking forward to the events in Normandy. “Heading over to Normandy to celebrate some of the bravest that ever lived. We are eternally grateful!” the president wrote.
Trump included in his post a video montage of messages from D-Day veterans and a line from his speech.
“They did not know if they would survive the hour,” the president wrote of D-Day veterans. “They did not know if they would grow old. But they knew that America had to prevail. Their cause was this Nation, and generations yet unborn.”
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